Forever With You
by kaybee89
Summary: Rapunzel can't help but feel like she's being imprisoned again in the palace. She wants to leave, and she wants Eugene to help her find the freedom that they both seem to have lost. Rated T for swearing and slightly sexual references.
1. We Could Run Away

The dark corridors of the palace were cool and silent as Rapunzel passed through them on deft bare feet, looking like a ghost in her lacy white nightgown as she floated in and out of the shadows. She wasn't sure what time it was, but judging by the way the moon's sliver peered down on Corona from the highest point in the sky, it was safe to say it was rather late. But this couldn't wait anymore. She had to talk to him.

Normally, she would be worried about being seen by one of the numerous guards or night staff that roamed the halls, silent as mice. If she was seen anywhere but where she was supposed to be, her parents would in all likelihood be alerted and she would be given yet another kind talk about the importance of propriety and other nonsense. At first she had understood why their talks were necessary. She had been new to living a life of royalty, and her inexperience with other people in general required her to listen and learn from what they had to say.

It had been a pretty long year.

As much as she told herself she didn't care if other people found out she was breaking the rules, she still felt the need to be as silent as possible. So she crept down the halls, absentmindedly pulling at a loose thread of her nightgown as she traversed toward the door she knew by heart.

It appeared on her left, the heavy dark wood materializing out of the darkness as she stepped in front of it. She placed her hand on the handle, sliding her fingers around the cool metal and looked once to her right and left, assuring herself that she was the hall's sole inhabitant. Satisfied, she pushed down the handle and stepped inside the apartment.

Inside was like every other apartment she had been inside of. It was decorated lavishly and beautifully, a motif of dark polished wood, white, gold, and accents of purple gracing the furniture. Upon first touring all of these rooms, Rapunzel had been struck with awe at the simple elegance of everything, her fingers itching for a paint brush to do detail studies on the furniture and bed curtain embroidery. And while their evident beauty had not faded, she realized as she quickly gazed about the room that she had lost the urge to care about it.

Rapunzel closed the door behind her with a soft click, sighing with relief that she had made it all the way down here without being seen. She immediately walked through the sitting room, past the artfully arranged couches and chairs and elaborate stone fireplace into the next room, her feet sinking into the plush rug that covered the entire floor. Up the two steps into the bedroom she climbed, heading straight for the open doors that led out onto the balcony.

He was waiting for her, just like he'd promised he would, leaning casually against the balcony rails with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. The flickering torch lights threw dancing shadows across his face, and she paused before crossing the threshold, enjoying the thrill she felt in the pit of her stomach every time she looked at his handsome face. She didn't think she'd made any apparent noise, however Eugene's head snapped up, his eyes immediately finding hers even in the dim light. It was impulse, maybe, the way he could sense her presence. Or maybe it was just his finely tuned thievery skills being put to work. Either way, she was glad that when he looked at her it made her weak in the knees.

"Hey," he said softly, pushing himself off the rails and straightening his shoulders.

A small smile graced her lips as she stepped out onto the balcony slowly, her earlier urgency all but evaporated. Now that she was here in front of him, she didn't know if she'd have the courage to tell him what she'd come all the way here to say.

Eugene, on the other hand, was freaking out. Underneath his mask of cool and calm, an unnamed panic had set in.

Lately, Rapunzel had been acting really strange. He was sure he was the only one who noticed… to everyone else she was the picture of a perfect princess. Always well groomed and smiling, her manners impeccable and her speech kind and respectful, she appeared to have adjusted very well to the new life that had been thrust onto her lap over a year ago. And although she had never told him otherwise, he knew that wasn't the case. Despite the outward appearance of perfection, he saw the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, or the flat tone her voice had taken on whenever she opened her mouth. She was different, too different. And it scared him. Mostly because he was afraid that her feelings for him had also changed, that this stiff and formal act she had going on was a gigantic hint he hadn't taken very well. And if that was the case, what the hell would he do then?

When she had caught him in the hallway earlier today, he said yes to her urgent whispered request of meeting without a second thought. But as the day wore on, a sudden bout of paranoia consumed him with thoughts of what exactly she would say to him. Clearly, she was not alright and something big was bugging her. And now as she stood in front of him, barefoot and in that awfully distracting nightgown, he felt the apprehension and anxiety twist into a ball in the pit of his stomach.

He wasn't sure he was prepared for this.

Rapunzel stopped only a few inches from him, looking up at his face with evident stress upon her own. She took a deep breath, letting his scent surround her and fill her senses… _Leather, earth, horses, man... _then reached up and pulled him closer, hugging him tightly. She hated not being able to touch him whenever she saw fit, having to fight the itching in her fingers or the ache in her limbs every time she came near him. She let her body relax against his, feeling safe in the warmth of his returned embrace.

"Hi," she said quietly back, her breath tickling his ear.

He pulled away from her, letting his hands slide down to her hips. They stared at each other for a moment, her enjoying the sense of peace she felt in his arms, and him waiting for her to rip his heart out and tap dance on it.

"How was your day?" Eugene asked lamely, eventually breaking the silence.

Rapunzel shrugged slightly in response. "How was yours?"

Eugene shrugged his shoulders as well. "Eh, you know… about the same as usual. I wandered aimlessly, flirted shamelessly with the maids, caused as much general havoc and confusion as possible."

He grinned, hoping to coax a genuine smile out of her. The corners of her mouth turned up in a half hearted attempt, but he noted with disappointment that it failed to reach her eyes again.

He simply couldn't wait any longer. He had to know what was bothering her.

"Ok," he said with a heavy sigh as he stepped away from her, sinking into one of the cushioned patio chairs that he rarely made use of. "What's so urgent we had to meet in the dead of night? These good looks of mine won't last if I can't get my recommended eight hours of sleep you know."

Rapunzel bit her lip, knowing he was just kidding, but not finding it in her to laugh. He patted the seat beside him and after a moment she walked over and sat on the edge of the cushion. She wrapped her thin arms around her middle as if she were trying to hold herself together.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene prompted again when she continued to remain silent. "Rapunzel you've got to tell me what's wrong."

She exhaled loudly and gazed at him with a look of pure anguish on her face.

"Eugene… I'm… I'm so scared."

His brows furrowed in confusion, but his fists balled up as an instinct. He wanted to fight, to punch and kick and make bleed whatever or whoever dared to frighten her so.

"But… why?" He found the breath to ask. "Are you hurt? In trouble? Is someone bothering you?" He felt so stupid that he even had to ask all of these questions. If she was truly so terrified, wouldn't he have already known?

"Because I can't help feeling like I made the wrong choice," she whispered finally, her voice wavering.

Beside her she felt Eugene stiffen. "Which choice would that be?"

She sighed, her thin shoulders falling up and down underneath the thin fabric of her nightgown as she looked down at her lap. She could feel his concerned stare, his eyes desperately seeking out an answer to her evasiveness and her determination to avoid looking back at him was greater than her desire to get lost in those beautiful pools of amber.

"I…" She began. "I, I just..."

Suddenly her fidgeting hands were engulfed in Eugene's warm one as he reached out to her. Maybe it was the warm comfort of his gesture, or maybe it was his obvious concern, so different from his usual carefree, sometimes quite self centered attitude. But either way, Rapunzel found herself responding to his touch and she raised her eyes to look him in the face as she answered.

"I'm afraid I made the wrong choice about… well about everything," she admitted quietly. As soon as she said the words an enormous, anvil sized weight felt like it had lifted from her chest and she took a deep breath. Keeping secrets bottled up inside never worked very well for her as they made her feel trapped, imprisoned, and alone. Beside her Eugene swallowed noisily and weakly squeezed her hand, urging her to explain.

"Everything?" He asked, a hint of hurt creeping into his voice.

Rapunzel bit her bottom lip as she ran her free hand through her shaggy brown tangles. Eugene was momentarily distracted from his concern by her movements, breathtakingly beautiful in all of their simplicity, and he found himself wanting, just for a moment, to run his own fingers through her hair. He began to lose himself in the thought of how those silky tresses would feel beneath his fingertips, how he would wrap his hands around her neck and bring her closer to him, crushing his lips against her own in a kiss that would make her forget every ounce of doubt… but then she was already speaking again and he blinked, forcing himself to come back to the present and listen.

"I just feel so… so stuck here, Eugene!" She ran both hands through her hair in a flustered gesture, the words snowballing out of her before she could collect herself and tell him calmly what was bothering her. "Every day is the same… same faces, same routine. It's just like being in that tower again, only here I have to sit up straight and curtsy and be so nauseatingly polite and proper that I just want to scream! But of course I can't, because that would be improper and we wouldn't want that!"

Eugene watched as she stood abruptly and began pacing back and forth in front of him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest in a defiant gesture. She was working herself up, and he knew it. He also knew she probably shouldn't, that in a place like this there are always unwanted ears listening in, reporting back what they heard to people with the power to make lives miserable. He didn't want her to say or do something she'd regret later, but he didn't stop her. As sick as it might be, he rather enjoyed watching her get all worked up. For the first time in a long time, there was a spark in her eyes and that loveable hint of pink in her cheeks. The spunky, feisty girl he'd met was slowly coming back to him, and he be damned if he was the one who pushed her back to the lifeless, politeness freak he'd had to get used to lately.

"God, it's like I took one step forward just to take three humongous steps in the complete opposite direction, and I hate it!" She continued on. "I hate that once again I'm powerless to do or change anything about my own life. I have no control over any aspect of my day from when I wake up to what I wear or eat. Mother said it would get better… that she went through the same thing when she came to the palace. But it's not getting better, Eugene. And I feel so awful because I feel like I'm lying all the time to everyone… pretending to be happy and so glad to be home. I mean, my parents are so happy that I'm here. They've waited eighteen years to know me and love me, but because I'm so ungrateful and awful I can't even suck it up and be a good little princess for them."

Eugene stood quietly as the sound of tears began to thicken her throat and roughen her words, stepping into her path and waiting for her to turn around. He watched as she turned angrily on her heel, and he opened his arms preparing to let her walk into them.

With her head down, concentrating on nothing but her own anger and frustration she didn't notice Eugene had gotten up until she ran straight into his solid form. With a slight "hmpf" she instinctively threw her hands up to his chest to brace herself, feeling his hands grip her upper arms as she did so. Biting her lip, Rapunzel looked up at his face, embarrassed at the hot tears that were filling her eyes, and seeing the intensity in his own staring back at her she had to stifle a gasp.

Eugene leaned closer to her, their faces hardly inches apart as he stared into her green eyes, still so vibrant even in the dark. For a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of their breathing as they stared at each other, losing themselves in the sight of the other. Then Eugene took a breath, murmuring urgently.

"You are _not _powerless."

Rapunzel frowned, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion that Eugene couldn't help but find adorable. "What?" She whispered.

Eugene loosened his grip on her arms, trailing his fingers over her shoulders and up her neck to cup her flushed cheeks. "Rapunzel, you aren't powerless. You never have been."

"But I…"

"No!" He interrupted, shaking his head. "No buts. Don't you see? If you were so powerless you wouldn't be here right now. You wouldn't ever have drunk beer or made friends with all of those nasty guys at the Snuggly Duckling. You wouldn't go to sleep every night knowing your real parents are just a couple corridors away, ready to hold you and tell you that they love you. Seriously, Rapunzel… if you were truly powerless, you never would have had the courage to do all the things you did that have gotten you to where you belong."

"But I don't belong here," she said quietly. Eugene opened his mouth to protest but she raised a hand to stop him. "No, really, Eugene. I… look. Maybe there was a time when I belonged here, when this place was my home. But this life was stolen from me eighteen years ago, and as much as I love knowing finally who I am and having a real family, I can't help but feel like this isn't where I'm supposed to be."

A tear broke free from the confines of her lashes then, making a shiny trail down her cheek that sparkled in the faint light coming in through the windows. Gingerly, Eugene reached up and brushed the falling tear away with his thumb and sighed.

"Oh, Blondie," he said finally. "What am I going to do with you? Always too moody and torn up with inner guilt… quite frankly it's exhausting trying to keep up with these mood swings of yours."

The corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile as a soft but genuine chuckle escaped her lips. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them and slowly slid her arms around his waist, locking them behind his back in a caring and grateful embrace. She sighed contentedly as she felt his strong arms wrap around her, reveling in the feeling of safety and comfort his embraces always provided her.

For a while they did not speak, the sounds of their breathing along with the occasional sniff from Rapunzel the only communication that passed between them. Rapunzel felt better, having her secret torment out in the open and no longer bottled up inside. But she still hadn't quite relieved Eugene of his worries.

"Rapunzel?" He said quietly, the vibrations of his voice rumbling in her ear. "You said you made the wrong choice about everything."

Rapunzel lifted her head off of his chest, her eyes sparkling with leftover tears in the firelight. "I did."

"Am I… a part of that everything?"

Her pretty green orbs widened, a twinge of panic setting up camp between her eyebrows. "Oh no! Eugene… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…"

He crushed her to his chest in relief cutting her off mid sentence. He didn't need to hear anymore, as long as she didn't think that he was a part of her prison that was all that mattered.

A part of Eugene was largely embarrassed that he even cared this much. But he'd be lying to more than just himself if he pretended he wasn't involved at this point. If he'd wanted to get away, he'd had well over a year to do so. Gone were the days where he walked in and out of the lives of hundreds of girls, their pretty faces and smells paling in comparison to the jewel of a woman he held in his arms. He supposed a small part of him would miss the dashing bachelor life of Flynn Rider, but as long as Rapunzel still wanted him he was perfectly happy to stay just Eugene.

"I'm so sorry," her muffled voice tried again from his chest. "Really Eugene… I didn't mean to make you think that I was upset because of you."

Eugene shrugged, trying to brush off his earlier worry. "Well… it's okay."

He knew that giving up her secret worries had made her feel much better, but telling someone her troubles didn't solve her ultimate problem. He still felt the tension in her shoulders, noting the tightness around her closed eyes. What would happen after this? They would part at the door with a goodbye kiss, her lost in her thoughts and worries and him lost in thoughts of ravishing her on his bed. She would go back to her room, and he would stay here. They would wake up tomorrow morning in their separate rooms and go about their separate lives, living apart and alone, unhappy but pretending not to be.

It was not an appealing thought.

Rapunzel slid her hands up to his shoulders and leaned back slightly so she could take in his whole face.

"Eugene, I want you to do something for me."

"What is it?"

"I want you to help me get out of here."

Eugene blinked once, twice. She didn't just say that. They were not going to do this… again.

"… What?" he said finally, as he could think of nothing better or more intelligent to say.

Rapunzel looked at him with a steady gaze, undeterred by his confusion. "I want to run away. With you," she said calmly, as if it were the most obvious and generic of requests.

"Rapunzel…" Eugene started. "That's not a good idea."

"Why not? I think it makes perfect sense. I'm unhappy here, you're clearly bored out of your mind here… why not leave and make it on our own for a while? It'll be like the Adventures of Rapunzel and Eugene Part II."

Eugene pulled away from her, turning to look out at the view from his little balcony. The surrounding lake and forest were masses of black shadows in the dark sky, the tiny moon's glow hardly enough to let his eye differentiate between the two. Her request was what he'd wanted for a long time, but hearing her say it, actually having the words out in the open like that was not something he had been entirely prepared for either.

"They'll think I stole you."

Rapunzel shook her head. "No, no they won't. I wouldn't just leave without telling my parents something… I'll write them a letter explaining what I've done and that I'll be back someday."

"But Rapunzel," Eugene said, turning back to face her. "Do you really want to do that to them? You know how badly they'll be hurt if you just up and leave with no more warning than a note."

Briefly, Eugene wondered who the hell had invaded his body. This was not the way things usually went down. He was not the rational one or the concerned with other people's feelings one. What had happened to being impulsive and unattached? Why was he not jumping at this chance, not only for freedom, but to be with her and only her?

Rapunzel looked down at her feet, the burden of guilt resting upon her shoulders at his words. She did know how hard it would be to leave them when they'd been nothing but happy and kind and supportive in the entire time she'd known them. But the ache in her heart for freedom, knowing just how that freedom she had experienced with Eugene a year ago tasted like, made her long to be rid of the confines of palace life. She'd only had two days of adventure, of pure fun and complete freedom in her entire life. She knew the consequences, and she had accepted them.

Despite her fear and guilt, she was determined to leave. However, Eugene knew she wouldn't leave without him, nor could he let her go without him right beside her. It was pretty obvious to him that the choice had already been made. Now it was simply a matter of agreeing out loud to help her. He stepped within arm's reach of her again and sighed.

"They'll never stop looking for us," he said brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes and tucking it gently behind her ear.

"I know," she whispered back. "And that's why I've thought of the perfect place to hide."

* * *

**A/N: I like this chapter but I feel like they're out of character a little bit. Oh well... (: Chapter 3 up soon!**


	2. Dust and Darkness

As any even remotely decent thief knows, if you're going to steal something valuable, the heavy cloak of darkness that nighttime provides is the perfect opportunity to take it as, upon completion, the shadows will simply swallow you up like you were never there at all. It's all about simplicity, efficiency, and quickness. The faster you can execute the task and disappear, the sooner you can worry about escaping. And of course, the fewer belongings you have on your person, the easier and quicker it is to not only escape, but remain undetected for as long as you require. A fast horse helps too.

Eugene was very aware of all of this, having been a wanted thief for years throughout the Kingdom. Thievery was an area in which he excelled, completing each robbery throughout his career with an unparalleled finesse, and despite his assurances to a certain blonde, he did miss the thrill of it occasionally. Which was why tonight was so great. It felt like the part of himself he had left behind had gotten a chance to reemerge, even to take over for a little while.

Mostly it was nice just to feel free again.

Rapunzel, on the other hand, was simply grateful for his expertise. She would never have been able to escape without being seen or heard on her own. And although everyone she talked to seemed to disapprove of Eugene's past, their kind faces becoming pinched and tight around the eyes when she mentioned it, she had no problem with it. This part of Eugene was who she'd met in the first place, the part of him she'd gotten to know first, and it was nice to be around him again. It felt like she'd found a long lost friend.

The trees stood tall and foreboding around them, like spiny walls along a trail that smelled of wet earth and decaying vegetation as they raced through it on a horse as black as night. The horse's hooves thumped against the forest ground in a steady rhythm, rocking her back and forth, and she instinctively tightened her hold on Eugene. But that initial thrill she had felt at the start of their journey was slowly being tampered down by a fear the crept and clung like ivy to her conscious. She couldn't name what exactly it was that she was so afraid of. There wasn't a single thing, human or not, in these woods that Eugene couldn't protect her from. But the panicky feeling in her chest wouldn't escape, and so she tried to imagine she and Eugene were simply taking a ride through the hunting trails on the palace grounds, that their frantic pace and heavy clothing had nothing to do with the fact that they weren't planning on returning. But with the overbearing darkness and the skeletal figures of the trees surrounding her, it was hard to imagine that they were simply taking a leisurely horse ride. She buried her head into the inviting space between his shoulder blades and closed her eyes, hoping that maybe if she couldn't see the things that could potentially be the cause of her unnamed fear, the fear would melt away.

In front, Eugene paused in his worrying when he felt her skinny arms squeeze his abdomen. He smiled a little, enjoying both the feel of her and the feeling of being needed. But her innocent touches didn't divert him for long, and after a deep breath he resumed his frantic, rather uncharacteristic worrying.

Technically, he was stealing a princess. Or at least, that's how everyone else would surely twist it. Of course he was the bad guy, because who in their right minds would suspect sweet, innocent Princess Rapunzel of doing anything so reckless or impulsively stupid? On her own, never. But as soon as it traveled through the snooty court grapevine all the way into the lowest of bar scum ears that he, the infamous thief-turned-palace-resident was involved… all hell would break loose. Overnight, his face would be plastered all over town on accurately drawn wanted posters. (No crooked or bulbous noses for him anymore… with the King's money, only the most skilled of artists would be employed to capture his face.) Not to mention the price on his head would probably quadruple whatever it had been before as plausible incentive.

In his mind's eye he lost himself in rather humorous visions of hysterical villagers and uppity courtiers, all cursing his name and bemoaning the yet again loss of their beloved princess. Men would raise fists and shout curses, but secretly wishing they were as smooth and dashing as himself, and women would cry tears of remorse and longing, truly bemoaning the fact that they were not the lucky gals being stolen away to God knows where on the horse of Flynn Rider.

But then he imagined the King and Queen's faces, amidst the crowd of his "fans". There was no anger or longing, no cursing or wailing. Only the most crushing of heartbreak, evident on every plane of their royal faces. How could he do such a thing to them? The only two adult figures he had ever met who gave him the time of day? Or at least they tried to anyway. (He didn't quite blame them… they didn't ask for their daughter to return with a fully grown male permanently attached to her side.)

Eugene was brought back to the present reality when he heard the distant, whispery sounds of water. The water sounded powerful, even at this distance, and Eugene felt a sigh of relief rush through him, knowing that the waterfall was near. They were nearly there.

Eugene glanced down at the horse's sweaty neck and felt a pang of guilt that he had pushed the poor thing so hard. Rapunzel had insisted on going as fast as possible for as long as possible, and he had gladly heeded that wish to make sure they escaped safely. He had kept them going at an almost breakneck pace for a good hour, slowing only to a canter when he was sure no one was following them. All night long they had kept on, occasionally slowing the overworked beast to a walk so that he didn't collapse under the strain. Rapunzel had expressed her worry over the animal, talking to him and praising him, offering up smuggled sugar cubes and apple chunks from her traveling coat pocket to appease him. Eugene had smiled at her with genuine affection… how she could be so cutthroat and so loving was beyond him. It was technically her fault the poor horse had to run all night, but she'd be damned if she let the thing suffer an iota more than it had to for her sake.

As they got closer, the sound of the rushing water got louder, and the smell of its clean, wet smell floated through the chilly air. Behind him, he heard Rapunzel sniff once, twice, her head leaving its resting place on his back as she sat up. He missed her warmth immediately, wishing she would lean closer and wrap herself around him again. But then ahead he saw the formation of boulders that blocked the entrance to the clearing, and he felt a wave of what he could only label as excited nausea pass over him. Gently, he led the horse toward the thick wall of vines, pushing through them and letting their soft leaves brush across his face.

In the cave, no moonlight could enter, and the darkness was impressive in that he couldn't see a thing. He directed the horse towards the dim light at the end of the tunnel, though, knowing what awaited them both there and hoping they had the strength to go forward with this crazy brainchild of an idea they had formed between the two of them.

The clearing looked the same as they both remembered. It was large and beautiful, a hidden little world complete with the finest that nature could offer such a secluded area. In the sunlight, he knew, everything looked so vibrant and alive it was like a picture from a fairytale. But Eugene also knew that looks could be deceiving, and that this pretty place had harbored and protected a very wicked woman and her selfishness for years.

Eugene pulled back gently on the reins, stopping the horse about fifteen yards away from the base of the tower. He hopped down first, stiffly hitting the ground with unsteady legs before he reached up to help Rapunzel who was barely conscious. Both travelers were tired and sore, and all Eugene wanted was to crawl into a bed and sleep until next Thursday. He grabbed Rapunzel's hand and made a stiff step toward the stone structure but she remained in place.

"Wait, Eugene," she said sleepily. "The horse… his bridle."

She turned back to the horse and clumsily fumbled with the various clasps, sliding the slobbery bit loose from his mouth and pulling the soft leather over his head.

She kissed his velvety nose in gratitude and smiled at him. "There, all better." Gently, she pushed his head towards the clear river that sparkled like fractured diamonds in the moonlight. "Go rest," she said, watching as he loped off toward the water with evident exhaustion.

When she turned back to Eugene, he was smiling at her, again amazed at her sheer capacity to love creatures he wouldn't think to. She was about to ask why he was looking at her like that, but a glance out of the corner of her eye suddenly reminded her where she was, and she forgot.

She turned slightly, tilting her head back to better look all the way to the top of the tower, feeling slightly intimidated by the sheer largeness of it. It was a powerful piece of architecture; she couldn't help noticing now that she was no longer stuck at the top of it. Anywhere else, it might even be sort of beautiful. She tried to imagine it stuck amidst the warm colors and sounds of Corona's marketplace, hoping that imagining it somewhere she felt so comfortable and alive would make it less imposing and frightening. But she couldn't, and as she blinked the image disappeared, along with any hope she had of feeling at least comfortable with the decision she had made.

Eugene watched her look up at the tower, taking it all in. In the back of his mind, he supposed he should be trying to figure out a way to get up the damn thing… without her golden locks of hair, he imagined it would be rather difficult to climb all the way to the top at the same time. But he was struck by the conflicting emotions that played across her beautiful face, evident even in the shadowy blue light offered by the full moon. He glanced around him. The clearing was peaceful, and quiet he noted. The worst case scenario he figured was that they could just sleep down here under the stars for a night. In all honesty, he'd actually prefer that, and was just about to suggest it when a deep sigh left Rapunzel, her petite shoulders rising and falling with the heavy breath. Then, she turned to look at him, grabbing his hand.

"Well," she said, a brave smile on her face. "I guess it's now or never."

Eugene was perfectly fine with never. Never was the best idea she'd had in three days, in fact. But before he could open his mouth to protest, she was gently dragging him around the base of the tower toward a misshapen hole in the side. He nodded to himself, having completely forgotten the staircase inside the tower existed. Gingerly she picked her way around the mini boulders that accosted the dewy grass like land mines, squeezing his hand so she wouldn't lose her balance in her drowsy stupor. She paused for a moment at the opening, placing a hand gently against the ragged stone frame. Together, they stared into the darkened hole, so black and flat it appeared as if it had swallowed up every ounce of spare darkness that had fled from the moon's fair light.

He heard her swallow once, twice, trying to get up the nerve to walk through the door. He could tell she was scared, not just because it was obvious, but because of the way she tightened her hold on his hand, crushing his fingers with the fierceness of her grip. It was hard to go home, no matter who you were or where it was. But when home was a tall, prison like tower, and childhood was something that had been stolen from you in the very place you were returning, he knew her fears were valid.

Truthfully, the idea of returning to the place where he had died wasn't exactly on his list of things to do. But he had promised he'd take her, promised he'd help her. And they'd made it this far… it was too late to let their fear turn them away from what was probably their only shot at freedom. So with a gentle returned squeeze of her hand, Eugene stepped forward in the ragged doorway, pushing away cobwebs and vines and leading them up the stairs.

It was a long staircase, spiral and made of the same stone as the outside of the tower. Beneath their feet they could feel the slippery smoothness of it, and in response Eugene slowed so that neither lost their footing. Briefly, Rapunzel marveled at the stairs existence. Before Gothel had brought her back after seeing the lanterns, she'd had no idea the staircase even existed. It irritated her slightly, knowing that all those years, she had quite literally been dancing over the door to her freedom without even the slightest clue. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the negative thoughts that had suddenly barged in her brain, and trying to get her eyes to focus. It was cold, however, making the darkness even more unbearable to Rapunzel who shivered. She wasn't entirely afraid of the bugs or the animals that were probably lurking beneath their feet, although admittedly it bothered her a little. And she wasn't even that afraid of the darkness, sinister though it seemed, because of the brave kindness of Eugene leading her forward. But she was afraid.

She shivered again and Eugene paused in front of her, sending her bumping into his stationary figure.

"Sorry Blondie," Eugene said, his voice welcome warmth in the darkness.

She raised her free hand and grasped the hand she was already holding with it, feeling safer using both hands to hold some part of him than letting it hang freely beside her in the dark. She shook her head once more, clearing it of the sudden impact. "It's alright," she whispered. "What's wrong?"

"She's not up there, you know."

Rapunzel froze, staring at approximately where she guessed Eugene's face would be if she could see it. She nodded, even though she was well aware he could not see her response. It was unnerving the way he could read her mind so clearly, how unfailingly he understood her without her having to utter a single word. She was briefly embarrassed by the fact, but became more so by the shaky tone of her voice as she answered, "I know."

All was quiet in the cramped staircase for a moment, the only sounds being their audible breathing. Rapunzel felt Eugene shift in front of her, the whisper of his leather boots on the stone seeming loud in the quiet, enclosed space.

"I mean… I just meant that even though this is hard it's not like she's up there waiting for you or anything. She can't hurt you. And I'm here, too. So you know… it's all good."

He felt like a sputtering idiot, his choppy sentences hardly coming close to the comfort and reassurance he was trying to access to make her feel better. He mentally slapped himself, wondering just when he had become such a pathetic sap. When had he ever been good at making other people feel better anyway? He was hardly qualified to make _himself_ feel better, which was why, usually, he employed a barman with an unlimited supply of beer to do it for him.

He heard her release a short exhale of breath, which he assumed was a chuckle. He became vaguely aware of her fumbling around in front of him, the rustling sounds of her dress as she moved closer the only sound he could hear. She let go of his hand with one of her own, gently trailing it up his arm with her whisper light touch. He was confused, but he'd be damned if he broke the spell she was weaving by doing something stupid like asking her what exactly she was doing. He suppressed a shiver as her slightly splayed hand fumbled across his chest and up his neck, seeming to be searching for something before pausing at his chin. She moved toward him, a primarily black mass in the shadows, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion until he felt her soft lips touch his own in a gentle kiss.

She lingered for a moment, pouring her appreciation for him and his concern into the kiss before pulling away.

"What… what was that for?" Eugene said his voice low.

He felt her shrug. "Just because you're wonderful," she answered her voice equally quiet. He would never admit it, but Eugene felt his heart fill with pride at her simple words. What once would have been a simple boost to his overinflated ego now made something in the pit of his stomach twist, the feeling of actually being cared for by someone else a welcome change. He said nothing, unsure of what words were appropriate, but could practically feel her smile as she continued. "And because I never thanked you properly for coming with me."

He leaned forward, searching out her lips in the dark before giving her a meaningful kiss of his own. If it were up to Flynn Rider, he would have abandoned their quest right then and there and made himself comfortable on the stone step, allowing himself full access to Rapunzel and her luscious lips. But, for whatever reason, that part of him had been making fewer and fewer appearances into his daily life. And while the thought of making out with Rapunzel was truly appealing, he fought the urge and pulled away. There would be time for that later. Squeezing her hand he turned back toward the spiraling stairs and pushed forward. "C'mon Blondie," he said. "God knows how many more of these damn steps we've got left."

She giggled softly behind him, and together they climbed, ignoring the burning in their thighs and fighting off the sleepy exhaustion that pressed down on them from all sides.

The trap door had been hastily pushed into place the last time Rapunzel and Eugene had been inside the tower, leaving the tainted place in a hurry to return to the palace. But the moonlight that filtered in through the windows in the rooms above glowed thinly around the perimeter of the stone, making it easy to find. Without a word, Eugene let go of Rapunzel's clammy hand and reached up to push the stone away, fighting the urge to sneeze at the cloud of dust that sliding it across the floor released into the air. He stepped aside and turned to look at Rapunzel, whose look of pale fear and fierce determination made him want to smile. She was always so conflicted.

He bowed and gestured extravagantly to the square of light. "M'lady," he said in his most practiced of snobbish voices. Rapunzel rolled her eyes slightly, but smiled despite herself. Taking advantage of the sudden lightened atmosphere, she stepped bravely forward and let Eugene help her through the hole.

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to feel as the room appeared in front of her, her eyes adjusting to the melancholy blue light that filled the room with shadows. Rather than concern herself with it, she distracted herself by brushing the dust off of her hands and turning back to the hole to pull Eugene through. Together they brushed the gritty, oily dust off of their hands and clothes before turning hesitantly to face the room.

A thin layer of visible dust lay on everything in the large circular room, cloaking the furniture and objects like a dirty grey blanket of snow. Rapunzel gazed about the room, feeling a mixed sense of comfort and fear surge through her as she looked about the place that had been her world for so long. A part of her was sad to see it in such a dilapidated state, while the more assertive and brave part of her decided it was just what it deserved for being a place where so much unhappiness grew.

Eugene himself couldn't shake the feeling that the smell of death had lingered amongst the dusty furniture. He tried to fight the magnetic power that the corner by the large front window held for him, his eyes glazing over the darkened floorboards before moving to other less threatening areas. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Rapunzel take in the room, her large green eyes flittering here and there, dedicating almost no time to any particular area or object. He could feel the stress coming off of her in palpable waves, her breaths shortening. He watched as her hands balled into fists, clenching and unclenching in an attempt to relieve her tension.

He didn't like to see her so upset. But at the same time, he didn't know if he had the heart to remind her that this was her idea… that it was she had wanted.

The quiet around them became almost oppressive, each lost in their own thoughts and worries brought back by being in this place. But eventually, a yawn escaped Eugene, the sound and gesture so odd in the tense moment that he almost found it funny. It was what they needed though to break them out of the spell of discomfort and fear that had woven itself around them. Eugene, placing his hands on his hips in his typical cocky stance surveyed the room once over and sighed.

"Looks like the poor place let itself go," he said, running a finger across a nearby end table and leaving a dark stripe. "It's a shame really. You've got to be careful as you get older, you know… the dust just packs itself on just the most obscene places. Before you know it, it can't be seen in public in a bathing suit without being called the nastiest names by all the other fit and shiny towers…"

He looked back to Rapunzel, whose face had relaxed some with the sound of his voice but was still a mask of unreadable emotions.

He sighed again, determined to keep talking if only to keep that scary dullness from returning to her eyes. "Well, what do you say Blondie? Sleep or clean?"

Rapunzel looked up at the ceiling, finding a small comfort in the sight of her colorful paintings along the walls had not faded with time. It gave her a spark of hope, knowing that they had withstood all the pain and depressing memories of this place and remained beautiful despite it all.

She took a step closer to Eugene, the sound muffled by the padding of dust. "I don't know if I can sleep with that there," she admitted, gesturing toward the dark stain on the floor that not even a year of undisturbed dirt and dust could completely hide. Eugene winced, absentmindedly bringing a hand up to his side and fingering the scar that had never disappeared.

"Agreed," he said finally. He wrapped a strong arm around Rapunzel's shaking shoulders and gave her a squeeze. Tucking herself against him, she wrapped her arms around him too and sighed.

Eugene smiled with a strange contentment. Even in the most uncomfortable of places, her touch still brought about a feeling inside of him he had yet to define. He would have been happy to stand there for the remainder of the night, lost in the feel of her body pressed against his with the smell of her hair invading his senses.

But, as usual, Rapunzel wasn't quite on the same page. She pulled away slowly, far more focused than he, squaring her shoulders before stepping slowly across the floor toward the dingy kitchen. She disappeared behind a counter for a moment, and he heard the sounds of objects being rummaged through. When she stood, she blew a stray tendril of hair out of her eyes and approached him with a handful of cleaning items. Truthfully, even those had probably seen better days. And the idea of cleaning, when all he wanted was to collapse into bed and tuck Rapunzel next to him, sounded awful. Painful. Unbearably masochistic. But he was playing the good sport tonight, so he bit back the sarcasm and goofy smolders that could get him out of anything and grabbed a scrub brush and feather duster out of her arms.

They cleaned for hours, scrubbing and freshening up the musty, uninhabited rooms with a surprising vigor. Rapunzel, frustrated that she couldn't get as high as she once could without her abundance of hair, stuck mostly to scrubbing the floors and beating rugs and pillows while Eugene lifted furniture for her and swept. She found the sight of Eugene with a broom in hand slightly comical, as the thought of him cleaning never even remotely crossed her mind. But the fact that he was being so kind, so utterly selfless about this whole thing when she knew he was worried and exhausted made her feel a surge of gratitude toward him. How could she ever show him how thankful she was for him and all of his help?

They continued to clean until the sky began to lighten from an inky black to a washed out blue gray, sneezing incessantly and giggling at everything from exhaustion. Leaving their supplies in a heap on the spotless countertop, Eugene wordlessly followed Rapunzel up the staircase toward her old bedroom. She pushed aside the heavy curtain that served as the door, holding it open for him, before heading towards the pink canopy bed. If she had entered this room a little earlier, maybe she would have felt more emotional. But she was too tired and felt nothing but relief at the sight of a bed. The pair fell into Rapunzel's childhood bed, a tangled mess of hair and limbs and steady breaths.

It hit her just before sleep's grasp dragged her under that they had made it. That, at least for the time being, they were together, and they were free. She planted a sleepy kiss on Eugene's exposed neck, snuggling even closer with a smile. "I love you," she whispered to his sleeping form. And with her smile still in place, she finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Ok, if anybody whose already started reading this wonders why the chapters are out of order... well it's because i changed them (: the order i had the chapters in made sense to me in the beginning, but after i got a confused comment on the order i realized it made more sense to change switch chap 1 and 2. hopefully that doesn't confuse anyone too much, and i think it will make everything more cohesive once i get around to finally updating this story (:

**-kaybee**


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